AGRICULTURAL.

North Otago Times, Volume II, Issue 37, 3 November 1864, Page 1 (Supplement)

AGRICULTURAL.

TuitNir Sowing. — Turnips are the groat foundation of the best system of cropping, by supplying the manure required for the subsequent crop, and, at the same time, clearing the laud of all noxious weeds, by the mimeious ploughings, stirrings, and hoeings, which they require. In some parts of England their place has of late years been, in a great measure, taken by mangold wurtzel. The great object on poor light lands is to raise a crop of turnips ; for when once this is obtained, and the land has been improved by the folding of sheep upon it, there is no great difficulty in maintaining the fertility thus produced by judicious management and frequent green crops. Great improvement in poor soils has been effected by the introduction of ground bones as a manure, which have tlie peculiar property of favoring the growth of turnips, and have, consequently, in many places been used without much help from farm-yard manure. It has, however, been found that a much greater profit is obtained by uniting the regular application of farm-yard dung with that of the bone-dust. For this purpos? the best farmers iu the old country prepare their land, where they intend to sow turnips, early after harvest, by g'*v'n» it as complete a cultivation as they can before winter, and they put on a good coat of manure and plough it in. In the beginning of the summer another ploughing is given, with repeated harro wings, to destroy the weeds which have sprung up. If the subsoil is dry, or the land has been thoroughly drained, the seed may be drilled in rows from two feet to thirty inches apart, with bone-dust on the fiat surface. The peed can scarcely fail to vegetate* soon ; less danger arises from dry weather than if they were on the top of the ridge, and the intenals can be readily stirred by the plough. The manure, which has had time to incorporate with the soil, is the best f-tate to nourish the young plant, until it can push forth its roots, and feed, as it were, on the bone dust ; a more rapid growth is ensured, which is the best preservative against the blight; and expeiience has pioved that this is a much more certain way to ensure a good crop of turnips, especially of swedes, than the old method of putting all the manure immediately under the seed in the lows, where it often remains inert if dry weather comes on soon after the seed is sown. Planting Hedges. — Trees or plants should be regarded as living organisations, governed by natural laws, each kind having its own particular physiology. It is, therefore, important that suitable preparations should be made to plant your hedging in soils and situations most congenial to 'Jieir natures and habits, so that no blanks or gaps will disfigure and render the whole concern comparatively useless. Often two small ditches are dug, and a mound raised between, if the earth taken out is kindly. On the top of this mound, the plants are carefully placed. Some prudent persons, who anxiously desired that their hedge should grow equal and fast, have

gone to the trouble of applying stable manure fermented and properly prepared, and the labor was amply repaid. Thorns and many other plants are tenacious of life. For a few years they will seem to thrive on any soil ; but if an impenetrable and noxious pan lie** under, as soon as the root§ descend to this substratum, a stunted growth and unsightlv. unfeneeable hedge will subsequently require repairs, having constant additional cost and causing constantly annoying vexations to all concerned. Poultiiy. — The best breed of fowls for the farmer is the produce of the Dorking (Surrey) cock and the common dunghill fowl. This cross is larger and plumper and more hardy than the pure Dorking, without losing delicacy of flavor or whiteness of flesh. The characteristics of the pure Dorking are that it is white feathered, short legged, and an excellent layer. The Poland breed, which is black feathered, with white topknots, lnvs well, and is highly desirable where the prodnotion of eggs for tho table is the principal object; but they seldom .sit, though they cannot be considered long legged. tagong, or Malay, which is a very large Indian variety, is generally long-leyged. with vellow body and co-irsc yellow flesh. As their logs incupneitate thorn from steady sitting, they are not general favorites. Forest Vlastisg— No kind of improve ment escapes that clear-sighted mnn, the French Emperor. His present Administration have undertaken, with great energv, the task of le-wooding the hills in several districts of France. A great iirpetus was given to the trade of foiest seeds. In 18G2 two thousand ewt. of forest tree seeds were required by the Government for this purpose alone?, and it was expected that as much would be wanted next year from the usual sources of supply. The Paris correspondent of the "Times" says — "The French Government, convinced of the advantages to be deiivod from planting the large tiacts of mountain land so long waste, have encouraged the owners to undertake the work by grants of money. Their efforts have been eminently successful, as it appears by official leturns that ncaily 30,000 acres were planted last year." Hero is an example that would be w ell worthy of imitation in New Zealand. The complaint throughout Otago among farmers, as well as miners, is general, as to the want of timber. No public work would pay better than the planting, on a large scale, of forest trees. — Witness.